Shareholder responsibility and is

In the nuclear accident in Fukushima, TEPCO compensation issues have been rumored. So is the word "shareholder responsibility" that often come out. Shareholders off the Mizeni, because some people have an image, such as pay reparations, I will try to explain shareholder responsibility.

Shareholder responsibility and is, or value of share certificates is depleted in the capital reduction, such as value at delisting is I mean that become zero. For example, JAL in 2010 (Japan Airlines) was bankrupt, this time JAL shares will be eventually delisted, the stock was now zero. If it is delisted, of course existing shareholders, you will not be able to recover the investment funds. In this way, in the sense shareholders not be able to recover the investment funds of "shareholder responsibility", does not mean never new burden occurs.

Definition of legal, Ltd. that of "shareholder", does not the president and employees. And all company profits are those of the shareholders, the shareholders also reserves the right to decide the company's management policy. Instead, if the company went bankrupt, is a translation responsible for it.

However, in the Corporation, because the responsibility of shareholders has been a "limited liability will be limited to the amount of investment (capital)", as well as the remaining debt is dissolved the company, does not have a repayment responsibility to shareholders. Only of that shareholder liability is only "worth of share certificates Invested = have become zero", does not bear more burden.

By the way, when the bankruptcy of companies, but is not to dispose of the remaining assets (such as land, buildings and equipment) to the company, has decided seniority at that time. Shareholders, because this seniority is the last, in most cases, all the shareholders do not remain money. By the way, (such as a bank) seniority is top of the the creditors than shareholders, as of the above in the salary of the employee than that, most seniority of is high, such as representing the tax and social insurance premiums country giant If a company is bankrupt, can not afford to not dissolve the company (or a bunch of unemployed, adversely affect a number of suppliers), so you might also be nationalized. The nationalization, it is that the country is to play the company become a shareholder.

And if only "part nationalization" leave existing shareholders present (capital increase, etc.) country is the largest shareholder, there is a case of "full nationalization" of all shares country purchase. Full at the time of nationalization, capital reduction - that is the equity value of 100% of the existing stock becomes zero, will the existing shareholders will not be able to recover any investment funds.

Because it is stronger trend that undesirable in capitalist society that it is state-owned, cases in recent years is full nationalization is rare. During the 2008 financial crisis, but major financial institutions such as AIG and Citibank got into a financial crisis, management restructuring measures that the United States government did remain in the injection of public funds, until the full nationalization did not go.